Charles C.W. Cooke, a British-born writer who left his country for what he still believes is the greatest nation in history – the United States – has written for the National Review an eloquent lament, Why I Despair, which argues sadly that his adopted country is on its way toward a disastrous resemblance to his native land.

However sublime the miracle of Obama’s get out the vote effort – and whatever other technical reasons for Obama’s victory – the fact remains that America willingly and without coercion reelected an unabashed statist to the White House.

Cooke writes:

But, consider this: A president of the United States just ran a reelection campaign based on the promise of government largess, exploitation of class division, the demonization of success, the glorification of identity politics, and the presumption that women are a helpless interest group; and he did so while steadfastly refusing to acknowledge the looming — potentially fatal — crisis that the country faces. And it worked.

Critically, his reelection will enshrine Obamacare, a Trojan Horse that will usher behind the gates of freedom ever greater measures of government control.

Many had hoped that Tuesday would be 1980 revisited. It was not. Instead, in its effects at least, it was more like 1945 in Britain, in which year the Labour party was elected and began to put into place the foundations of a government-owned and -run health-care system that would quickly displace the established church as Britain’s national religion. (If you question the believers’ zeal, take a look at the frenzied NHS worship at the Olympic opening ceremony.) As Mark Steyn has correctly observed, in Britain as elsewhere, the National Health Service paved the way for a “permanent left-of-center political culture” that obtains regardless of who wins office.

Aleph.
How desolate lies the city
that was once full of people:
The Queen of nations
has become a widow;
The ruler of provinces
is now subject to others.

Beth.
By night she weeps in sorrow
and tears run down her cheeks:
There is none to console her, of all who love her;
All her friends have betrayed her and have become her enemies.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
turn to the Lord, your God.

(II)
From the Lamentation of the Prophet Jeremiah.

Ghimel.
Judah has departed
because of torment and great slavery:
She has lived among the peoples
and has not found rest:
All her pursuers
seized her in her troubles.

Daleth.
All her pursuers have captured her between the straits.
(The streets of Zion) mourn; for there are none to attend her ceremonies.
All her gates are ruined;
her priests sigh and groan.
Her virgins are afflicted
and she is overwhelmed with bitterness.

Heth.
Her enemies are in the ascendant,
her adversaries prosper;
for the Lord has passed judgment on her
for the multitude of her iniquities.
Her children are led captive
before the face of her oppressor.